


A Cost Too Great

by sksdwrld



Series: Asterisk [18]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sksdwrld/pseuds/sksdwrld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elliot finally sits do with the MTV interviewer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Cost Too Great

**Author's Note:**

> Nick, Matt Malone, Hathor Rising, Jammer, Carlos, Aj, Tim, and Andy don't belong to me. Used with permission.

Elliot was ushered into a chair across from the interviewer and he sat down without so much as a glance in his direction, choosing instead to focus his attention on the tabletop. The interviewer reached across the table and Elliot flinched, belatedly realizing the guy was only offering his hand in greeting. "Hi Elliot, I'm Nick." Elliot glanced at him in acknowledgement but went right back to staring at the tabletop. He was cooperating with the blood test but had no intentions of participating in any part of the interview.

"You are Elliot Whitley, aren't you?" The phlebotomist in the corner asked. "I'll need you to state your name and date of birth for verification." 

Still glaring, Elliot fished his ID out of his wallet and passed it over to her. Nick looked vaguely amused and not at all irritated. "Alright, that's your man," she said to Nick and nodding at the card as she handed it back. Elliot shoved the left sleeve of his shirt over his bicep and held his arm out as if to say, let's get this over with. 

The phlebotomist tied on the tourniqet, swabbed Elliot's arm with an alcohol pad, and then positioned the needle. "Little pinch," she warned before pushing it into his vein. With the first spray of blood into the tube, Elliot went a bit light headed and swallowing, he closed his eyes. Not a minute later, the technician was putting a bandaid on him and patting his arm. "All set, Elliot. Good luck." 

Elliot shoved away from the table and headed for the door, triumphant in his victory, no matter how small it was. But Nick wasn't finished with him. He cleared his throat and began to read off the tablet in front of him. "An unidentified youth was removed from the estate of Daniel Truman of Meriden, Connecticut early Tuesday morning and placed in the care of the state. At this time, no identification has been made but police are reviewing the missing children logs. Additional information will be made available as it raises..." 

Elliot froze with his hand on the knob. He felt as though the air had been knocked out of him but he needed a minute to process what was going on. 

"Wait, there's more," Nick said smugly. "Authorities are working hard to uncover the identity of the young man removed from Daniel Truman's custody last week. Purportedly calling himself 'Elliot', police say there isn't much to go on. Elliot is 5'8, approximately 120 lbs with blonde hair and grey eyes and is between15 and 20 years of age. If you or anyone you know has any information regarding this case, please call the missing children hotline at 1-800-5555..." 

Elliot swallowed thickly and lifted his chin. He could bluff his way out of this, maybe. "So?" 

"Daniel Truman pled 'no contest' to fifteen charges today, including kidnapping, endangerment, false imprisonment, sexual misconduct, and performing sexual acts with a minor (among others). He has been remanded pending sentencing at a later date. The victim, Elliot Whitley, is a ward of the state. Deemed unfit for trial, he was unavailable for questioning." 

Elliot's palms were suddenly slick and clammy. He wiped them on his stained khakis and fought back the wall of nausea that was building as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He stammered, "Public record. That's all a matter of public-" 

Nick interrupted him. "Eddie gave me 'a going-away present' last night. That's what she called it, anyway. Something to remember her by, she said. And I won't ever forget her now, though I wouldn't have anyway. Those rumors aren't just heresay anymore and I'm wondering why I waited so long..." He was reading one of Elliot's blog-posts from 7 months prior. 

"Oh God!" Elliot started to sink to his knees but felt the slender arms of the phlebotomist catch him. 

"Jesus, Nick..." She tugged him back toward the chair and Elliot sank into it with his hand over his face. 

"That's private..." Elliot murmured weakly. 

"No, that's public," Nick laughed, cracking the lid on a bottle of water and pushing it toward him. "Don't you know how the internet works?" 

"Why are you doing this?" Elliot asked, ignoring the water in favor of tugging at his hair. 

"It's my job to get the story, and what I'm trying to show you is that I've already got one. From what I understand Elliot, you're a smart guy...well versed in the topic of research and spin. So how do you want to be painted? As a victim of the universe's cruel humor, or as the jilted lover of a girl whose passion is too great to be contained?" 

"I am a victim!" Elliot snapped. His hand lashed toward the water bottle but Nick was faster and moved it to the other side of the table. 

"And I am used to celebrity temper-tantrums. Now how about it, buddy, you want to tell me your side of it? Because I've already got Eddie's and she's pegged you for cold, manipulative and calculating. You loved her and left her holding the bag...that how you want your grandmother to see you?" Nick checked his notes again. "You wouldn't want to make Cookie cry, would you? She seems like such a lovely lady." 

Elliot rubbed his hands over his face. Blood rushed in his ears and pulsed in his temple as the familiar sensation of tightness spread through his chest. Explicatives rang in his head but what came out was a mere whisper. "You're evil." 

Nick only grinned. "That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, thank you, Elliot...now, let's see here. We already know how you met at the house, shared a love of books, and developed a close bond from the start...unless you had something to add?" 

Miserably, Elliot shook his head. He couldn't think fast enough to keep up. He didn't know what to contest and what to agree with. He couldn't see where this was all going. 

"Fine. Tell me about the night that you slept together. I understand that it was only the once?" 

Elliot nodded and stared down at the tabletop, trying to gather his thoughts. 

"You want a cigarette?" Nick offered and Elliot realized that he did. He pulled one out of the silver monogrammed case in his pocket and Nick lit it for him with a neon orange bic lighter. It wasn't the same as his Zippo, he didn't get that little taste of gas with the first pull and it almost seemed wrong. 

Fixing his eyes high in the corner, Elliot exhaled a plume of smoke. "It was my last night at the home..." 

_They were on the sofa in the basement rec-room when she said it. "Elliot, I want to give you something...something so you won't forget me. You're the nicest guy I've ever known, and I'm certain that I could love you. Elliot-baby, will you let me do something? Can I give you a kiss?"_

Elliot smiled and held out his palm: It was all so Peter Pan. 

"No, I mean a real kiss." Eddie laughed, understanding his reference right away. 

He glanced shyly up at her, nodding his permission and she slipped her hand into his, tugging him closer. "I'll be your first girl, Sugar. You won't ever forget me." 

She tipped her head and her lips ghosted over his. That was all it took for a bolt of want to course through him. When she pulled away, his lips chased hers and she giggled before teasing him some more. The press of Eddie's lips, when it came, was too much and not enough. Elliot had almost forgotten what it was like to be wanted. He opened his mouth to her tongue and when she licked at him delicately, it was foreign but glorious. 

Daniel had always been demanding and commanding; his kisses firm even when they were chaste. But Eddie was soft, yielding, deliberate but gentle, and the gloss on her lips was as sweet as candy. His fingers curled against Eddie's hips and tugged in encouragement, almost of their own accord. She slid forward into Elliot's lap but hovered so that their clothes only brushed torturously. 

Elliot whined in consternation but Eddie only pried his hands from her hips and moved them up her body. "Touch me," she breathed into his mouth and his fingers curled around the softness of her breasts. He wasn't sure if he had ever had any expectations of breasts but he found his curiosity was momentarily stronger than his desire. He had to look as his hands molded to the cups of her bra, and he hefted her flesh gently. 

Eddie pushed Elliot back and frowning, he wondered if he had done something wrong. But she only peeled off her shirt and tossed it away from them before pulling his hands back to her chest. "It's okay, baby. You're not going to hurt me." 

Elliot's fingers danced over her skin. He stroked, prodded and squeezed, and when he dipped his fingers inside her bra, he was surprised at the way her rosy nipples budded beneath them. Eddie gasped and arched into his hands, then ground down into his lap. Elliot could help but moan and buck against her. It had been too, too long and he was aching with need, but he flushed at the thought of asking her for...for that, even if it seemed like she wanted it too. 

Luckily, he didn't have to. 

"Do you want me, Elliot? Baby, do you wanna-?" 

"Yes!" Elliot agreed and rubbed against her again. "But I...I don't know how..." 

"Oh, Elliot!" Eddie laughed breathlessly. "Didn't you ever...top?" 

"...No..." Elliot responded, pushing his face into her neck. Daniel hadn't ever offered and Elliot hadn't asked. He understood that wasn't how the arrangement worked. When he turned eighteen, Daniel had brought home another man for Elliot to prove himself a man with, but under Daniel's scrutiny, Elliot had been too shy and refused. There had never been another occasion for him to try again.... 

Eddie pet him a moment and then nudged him back until he was flat on his back. "Let me take care of you, baby..." 

Elliot had been happy to let her, too. She undressed him then herself and kissed burning trails down his body before shifting one leg back over him. 

"Wait!" Elliot protested. "We should...we need...don't you have a...a condom?" 

"Your first time should be special, Elliot..." she trailed a finger down his chest. "I'll go get one if you want, but you'll have to wait. Or we could just..." 

Eddie rolled her hips and Elliot could feel her slippery heat slide along his length and suddenly he didn't care. He wanted her and he wanted to feel her wrapped around him and he wanted to be caught up in the tangle of another person..."Oh God, okay...yes!" Elliot agreed, squeezing his eyes tightly when she rose up, took him in hand and then sank down... 

"So, you're saying that Eddie seduced you?" Nick asked. 

"Yes," Elliot nodded and took another long pull off his cigarette. 

"Did you love her?" 

"No..." Elliot blinked back tears. "But I...we were..." 

"Close?" Nick supplied. 

"She was my first..." Elliot muttered and took out another cigarette, lighting it with the dying ember of the other one. 

"Now wait a minute here, that Daniel-guy was convicted of statutory rape. Are you saying that he never-" 

Elliot's head snapped over and his voice went cold. "He never raped me. It wasn't...rape. I lo-" Realization that he was about to say too much, he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. 

"Are you saying that you loved him? Daniel Truman? Do you still love him?" 

Elliot swallowed and then laughed bitterly as he wiped the corners of his eyes. "I'm not here to talk about him, am I?" 

"Fair enough. Back to Eddie. So on your last night together, things got hot and heavy. Eddie says you promised to keep in touch, but you didn't, did you?" 

"I meant to..." Elliot said. "Time gets away from you when you're...adapting to a new environment. I gained an entire family overnight." 

"So you didn't need her anymore?" 

"Don't put words in my mouth!" Elliot snapped. "It was hard to adjust. Everyone has all these expectations of you and you can't always meet them. No one understands that I grew up in a closet without human interaction. What is easy for you is painful for me! I try and try and it's not good enough, I'm not normal!" The ash from his cigarette blew over the table as he angrily gestured. 

"You're not just talking about then, are you Elliot?" Nick's tone was nearly sympathetic. "How are things going for you on the tour? How are you adapting to life on the road, away from your newfound family?" 

"Fine," Elliot said through his teeth. "And I'm not going to talk about them either. Hathor Rising has given me an amazing opportunity that I'm grateful for every moment of every day. They're my friends and they're as much my family as anyone else." 

"What about Matt Malone? Is he a friend of yours?" 

Elliot barked a surprised laugh. "Matt isn't anyone's friend, except maybe Eddie's. He's been taken in by her games and manipulation, just like I was. I almost feel bad for him." 

"Almost?" 

"Yeah, almost. He's just as much at fault for this circus side show as she is." 

"I see...is there anything you'd like to tell Matt, if you could, right now?" 

Elliot's eyes narrowed. "I'm not stupid enough to open my mouth while you've got your camera pointed at me..." 

Nick snorted and traded an amused look with the camera guy. 

"Have you been with anyone else since things with you and Eddie went awry?" 

"No," Elliot said. "She's still the only one I...look how we screwed it up." 

"So you admit you could be the father," Nick prompted. 

Elliot stabbed the filter of his second cigarette into the ashtray. "Statistically unlikely, but yeah. Anything's possible. Okay, is that what you wanted to hear?" 

Nick shrugged amiably. "What will you do if it turns out the baby is yours?" 

"I don't know." 

"Have you told your family about your predicament?" 

"No." 

"Your own mother was a teenager when she had you, wasn't she? How do you think they'd react?" 

"I don't know," Elliot squirmed uncomfortably. 

"Do you think your grandmother will be more excited or disappointed?" 

"I don't know!" Elliot said again, his voice ratcheting up in pitch. 

"What would Daniel say?" Nick prompted slyly. 

Elliot felt the last of his self-control slip away and he burst into tears. Then he laid his head down on the table and sobbing, covered himself with his arms. After a minute, he heard Nick say they had enough and the cameraman stepped away. 

It was awhile before Elliot collected himself enough to stand. 

"Thank you for your time," Nick said. "I'm sorry if I've upset you." 

"You got what you wanted," Elliot said bitterly and headed for the door once again. 

"Oh, Elliot, just one more thing?" Elliot waited as Nick grinned and winked. "You should have done Oprah." 

Dismay filtered through Elliot's anxiety as he pushed out into the night air without another word. He should have kept his mouth shut is what he should have done. But he'd sad what he said and there was no taking it back. Too easily, he'd let himself be goaded into confession after confession. 

"Don't, don't, don't!" he said aloud, clamping his hands over his ears and trying to drown out the voices that wanted to rehash parts of the interview over and over. But he couldn't stop them. He walked faster, but he couldn't outrun them, either. 

_What would Daniel say? What would Daniel say? What would Daniel say?_

They were still going on by the time Elliot made it back. "God, shut up!" Elliot yelled, falling into the side of the tour bus and sliding down it. "It doesn't matter, he doesn't matter, he doesn't care, you don't care, shut up, shut up!" He fumbled for another cigarette but it didn't quiet his whirling brain. It didn't do anything but burn his throat and lungs and Elliot flung it away from himself angrily. 

Elliot slammed his head back against the siding once, twice, three times, and then the tears came, hotly tracking down his cheeks. He let them, he didn't care anymore who saw what. You can do this, they'd said. This will be good for you, they'd said. It will be fun, they'd said. Cleary, Elliot had a different idea of fun. 

The bus door hissed open and Elliot prayed it was AJ or Andy. Carlos and Jammer were too angry with him, Tim too indifferent. Footsteps shuffled closer and then, a voice he wasn't expecting at all. "What the fuck are you doing to my bus? Matt. Why was Matt in Hathor Rising's bus? Then, Elliot glanced up at the siding behind him and realized that it wasn't their bus at all. Damn it. 

"No, really. What are you doing?" 

Elliot took a deep breath for good measure and rubbed at his wet cheeks. "Getting kicked while I'm down, apparently." 

Matt snorted and slipped a cigarette between his lips. "Welcome to the bloody club." He lit the cigarette and took a long pull from it, then followed it with a draught from the whiskey bottle in his hand. Then he swung the bottle toward Elliot, who flinched again. But Matt only sloshed it in his general direction again. "Take it." 

Frowning, Elliot tentatively reached for the whiskey, unsure why other than that he'd been told to. He was still good at following directions, even if he mucked up everything else. 

Matt nodded and swayed as he puffed on his cigarette, and leaning on the bus with one hand, he peered over at Elliot. "You look like you need it more than me, right now. I got what I needed from it anyway." Turning away, he spat on the pavement, a wet mucousy sound that made Elliot's stomach roll a little. Looking dwn at the bottle, Elliot carefully wiped the mouth of it off with the hem of his shirt. 

"Prissy Fucker..." Matt scowled before sucking the cigarette down to the filter. He belched, and simultaneouslyexhaled a cloud of smoke. Chuckling to himself, Matt staggered back toward the front of the bus. "Don't say I never did anything for you." 

Elliot waited until the door pulled shut behind Matt. Then he tipped the bottle to his mouth and swigged. But it didn't taste like the redemption he was hoping for. Nothing ever did.


End file.
